1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to the detection of fluid leakage occurring at a target site of a subject. More particularly, the disclosed invention relates to a sensor patch, system, and method for detecting said fluid leakage.
2. Description of Related Art
Wounds caused by surgical procedures or traumas are often stitched or closed by other means. However, the closed wounds are prone to open, leading to bleeding at the wounds. In the case where the wounds are covered by dressings or the patients are unconscious or otherwise unable to be aware of the bleeding, it may take a long time before the caretaker or the patient notices the bleeding. This may result in excessive blood loss, which may jeopardize the patient's recovery process.
Moreover, in the clinical setting, procedures for the injection of fluid into the human body and the withdrawal of body fluid from the human body are quite common. For example, medicines or other substances are often delivered to the body via intravenous infusion (drip infusion), while various kinds of body fluids (such as, blood, cerebrospinal fluid, ascites and pleural effusion) are withdrawn from the body. In some cases (e.g., dialysis), the withdrawn body fluid may be processed and then returned to the body. These applications involve the use of a syringe needle being pricked into a human body. During the period in which the syringe needle stays in the patient's body, the fluid being delivered or withdrawn may leak from the patient's vein or the mispositioned needle, or the tissue surrounding the needle may bleed. The leaked fluid, if not attended to properly, will damage the tissue around the injection site, which is known as extravasation. Depending on the medication, amount of exposure, and location, extravasation can potentially cause serious injury and permanent harm, such as tissue necrosis. Milder consequences of extravasation include irritation, characterized by symptoms of pain and inflammation, with the clinical signs of warmth, erythema, or tenderness.
Injection fluids containing vesicant and/or irritative substances often aggravate the extravasation. Examples of highly vesicant drug substances include chemotherapeutic agents (such as adriamycin and vincristine), vasopressor agents (e.g., dopamine), contrast agents, hypertonic glucose solutions, electrolyte solutions (such as potassium chloride, calcium chloride, and sodium bicarbonate solutions), phenytoin, and total parenteral nutrition (TPN) solutions. These drugs are often administered using an infusion pump with an alarm. However, according to survey conducted by Pennsylvania Patient Safety Advisory in 2007, the alarm signal was only activated in half of the total leakage cases.
In view of the foregoing, fluid leakage is a longstanding issue that nevertheless still needs addressing.